Does your business routinely deliver products, transport passengers, carry equipment, or drive between job sites? Commercial auto insurance helps protect you from the financial consequences of covered losses such as accidents, injuries, property damage, theft, and more.
Most states require businesses to carry at least a minimum amount of commercial auto liability insurance before operating covered vehicles on public roads. Even if employees drive their own cars for work, a personal auto policy often excludes business-related use—meaning you may still need auto insurance for commercial vehicles or other business auto coverage depending on how the vehicle is used.
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What is commercial auto insurance?
Commercial auto insurance is a type of business insurance that helps pay for injuries, property damage, and other covered losses involving vehicles used for business purposes.
Like a personal auto policy, it typically includes liability coverage and may also include collision, comprehensive, medical payments, personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and other optional protections, depending on state requirements and your policy.
Who needs commercial auto insurance?
Again, businesses that own, lease, or regularly use vehicles for work generally need commercial auto insurance. In fact, most states require minimum liability coverage for business vehicles. Lenders may require additional coverage for financed or leased vehicles.
Some types of businesses that are likely to need commercial auto coverage could include:
- Delivery companies
- Landscapers
- Long-haul truck drivers
- Contractors and subcontractors
- Food vendors and catering businesses
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Real estate and sales
- Businesses that have company cars
- HVAC technicians
- Rideshare/delivery app drivers (which may or may not include limited commercial auto coverage from the company with which they’re contracting)
Even if you use your personal vehicle for your business and already have auto coverage on it, you’ll likely still need to get a separate commercial auto policy, as vehicles owned by a business or used exclusively for business are typically excluded from personal auto coverage. However, depending on your insurer, limited business use for a personal vehicle could be permitted.
What does commercial auto insurance cover?
Commercial auto insurance typically includes liability coverage, including bodily injury and property damage. Depending on state laws and whether you’re leasing your commercial vehicle, other coverages may also be required. Additionally, you’ll only be covered up to your coverage limits, with excess costs typically coming out of your pocket.
Below, we’ll cover some of the different coverages that could be a part of your commercial auto insurance policy.
Liability
Liability coverage helps pay for damages and injuries you or an employee are responsible for causing after an accident. A commercial auto policy’s liability coverage may also extend to risks beyond driving the vehicle, such as third-party injuries or damage during loading or unloading.
You’ll find liability insurance broken up into two different forms, with most states requiring a specific amount of coverage for each:
- Bodily injury liability: Covers medical bills, death benefits, and legal costs after your business vehicle injures another person in an accident involving you or an employee.
- Property damage liability: Covers repair costs, reimburses the cost of damaged belongings for another person, or covers legal fees after an accident you or an employee causes.
Collision
Collision coverage helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle after it’s damaged in a collision with another object or vehicle, regardless of who is at fault. Coverage will extend up to your car’s actual cash value after you pay your deductible. Collision coverage is typically optional, but it may be required by a lender when leasing your vehicle.
Comprehensive
Comprehensive coverage helps pay for losses to your vehicle caused by a covered non-collision incident (think theft, vandalism, fire, and natural disasters). Coverage will again extend up to your car’s actual cash value after accounting for your deductible. This is another typically-optional insurance that your lender may require when leasing a vehicle.
Medical payments
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) helps pay for medical or funeral costs for you and any passengers in the event of an accident. MedPay may be required or offered as optional coverage, depending on your state. But it’s not available in all states.
Personal injury protection
Also called no-fault coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) helps cover medical costs, lost wages, and funeral expenses for you or someone else in your business vehicle after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Depending on where your business operates, this coverage may be required or offered as optional coverage. PIP isn’t available in every state, either.
Uninsured/Underinsured motorist
Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage helps pay for medical expenses and physical damage to your vehicle after you’re in an accident where the other driver is at fault but doesn’t have enough liability coverage. While often sold together, uninsured motorist coverage (UM) only covers you if the other driver doesn’t carry any liability insurance, whereas underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) covers you if they simply don’t have enough coverage to pay for your losses.
Depending on where you live, uninsured motorist coverage may be required as part of your commercial auto policy.
Hired and non-owned auto insurance
Hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA) provides liability coverage to vehicles you use in your business but don’t own, such as those you rent, lease, or borrow. It can also cover the personal vehicles employees use for your business, such as to pick up construction materials or run a work errand on the clock. However, it won’t cover damages to those vehicles.
Rental reimbursement
Rental car coverage provides liability coverage when a rental car is used by you or an employee for business purposes. However, this won’t cover physical damage to the vehicle, which you can usually get through a waiver from the rental car company.
What isn’t covered by commercial auto insurance?
Commercial auto insurance doesn’t cover every type of claim. Like other insurance policies, it stipulates exclusions that define when coverage doesn’t apply. Understanding those exclusions will help you to avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs after an accident or other loss.
Claims that are commonly not covered by commercial auto insurance include:
- Medical expenses incurred by you or your employees while driving a vehicle that are unrelated to an accident
- Property inside a commercial vehicle that’s damaged in an accident
- Accidents involving your or an employee’s personal vehicle being driven for personal use
- Damage to a rental vehicle
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Common commercial auto insurance endorsements
For situations and claims that aren’t normally covered under commercial auto insurance, there are a few endorsements you can purchase to help cover the gaps. Some common commercial auto insurance endorsements can include:
- Roadside assistance: Can cover towing, flat-tire changes, dead-battery replacement, or unlocking your vehicle if you lose your keys.
- New vehicle replacement coverage: Helps pay for a new vehicle of the same make and model without taking depreciation into account after it’s stolen or totaled.
- Rental reimbursement: Helps cover the cost of a temporary rental car while your insured business vehicle is being repaired or replaced.
- Hired and non-owned auto insurance: Covers vehicles you use for business purposes that aren’t owned by the business itself.
- Drive other car coverage: Extends existing coverage, such as liability insurance, uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage, physical damage coverage and more to vehicles that aren’t listed on the commercial auto policy.
- Inland marine insurance: Covers tools, equipment, and cargo that are carried in your commercial vehicle that aren’t attached to it.
- Gap coverage: Covers the difference between what you owe on the remaining term of a commercial vehicle lease and your existing coverage limits if the vehicle is totaled.
Commercial auto insurance vs personal auto insurance
Below is a breakdown of the differences between commercial and personal auto insurance:
Additionally, coverage limits for commercial auto insurance tend to be higher than those for personal car insurance to account for the higher risk of accidents and resulting damages.
How much does commercial auto insurance cost?
Commercial auto insurance typically costs between $100 and $1,000 per month per vehicle—though premiums vary widely based on your business, the vehicles you insure, your location, your claims history, and the coverage you choose. Businesses that insure multiple vehicles may qualify for fleet discounts or other savings opportunities.
Factors that impact commercial auto insurance premiums
How much you’ll pay for commercial auto insurance is impacted by numerous factors, some of which can include:
- Type of business: Some businesses, such as contractor-based businesses, may pay more for commercial auto insurance.
- Vehicle type: Rates can vary depending on a vehicle’s year, make and model.
- Business’s location: Businesses in more densely populated areas will likely have higher rates.
- Claims history: If you have a record of insurance claims, you may be seen as a higher risk by your insurer, which may increase your premium.
- Driving record: Your driving record and that of your employees could impact your rates if you have a history of accidents.
- Additional coverages: Adding optional coverages, such as comprehensive and collision, will increase your monthly rates.
- Deductible: Lower deductibles typically result in higher monthly premiums. In contrast, raising your deductible can lower your rates.
Mistakes to avoid when purchasing commercial auto insurance
Try to avoid these pitfalls when purchasing commercial auto insurance:
- Not purchasing high enough coverage limits for your business’s needs
- Not purchasing hired and non-owned auto policies if your employees ever use their vehicles for business
- Neglecting to look at cost when purchasing commercial auto insurance (you may miss out on essential coverages)
- Not including all employees on your commercial auto policy
Commercial auto insurance at a glance
Here’s a quick look at the essential information you should know about commercial auto insurance:
- Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles owned, leased, or regularly used for business purposes and is required in most states.
- Most policies include liability coverage and may also include collision, comprehensive, MedPay, personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and optional endorsements.
- Businesses whose employees drive personal vehicles for work may also need hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA).
- Your premiums depend on factors such as your industry, vehicles, location, claims history, driving records, and selected coverages.
How to save on commercial auto insurance
Below are a few ways to lower your commercial auto insurance costs:
- Choose deductibles your business can comfortably afford.
- Bundle commercial auto insurance with other business insurance policies when discounts are available.
- Avoid filing small claims you can reasonably pay out of pocket.
- Maintain clean driving records through employee driver training and safe driving practices.
- Take advantage of discounts, such as paying your annual premium in full up front.
The takeaway
Even if your company’s primary service isn’t transportation related, commercial auto insurance may still be a vital coverage that you want (or even be legally required to have). From landscapers to plumbers to catering businesses, anyone who gets behind the wheel as part of their company’s line of work will appreciate the peace of mind that comes with commercial auto insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is commercial auto insurance legally required?
Yes, commercial auto insurance is legally required in most states when driving a car for business purposes. Personal auto insurance won’t be enough, as such policies typically exclude coverage for commercial use of a vehicle.
How is the cost of commercial auto insurance determined?
Your commercial auto insurance costs will be determined by factors such as your business’s industry, where you’re located, your driving history, your coverage limits, and what coverages you have.
Does commercial auto insurance cover employees driving company vehicles?
Yes, commercial auto insurance will cover employees driving company vehicles, provided the policy approves their business use of the vehicle.
What is hired and non-owned auto insurance?
Hired and non-owned auto insurance is optional coverage that provides liability protection for vehicles your business leases, rents, or borrows, as well as an employee’s personal vehicle when used for business purposes.
How often should a business review its commercial auto policy?
It’s wise for a business to review its commercial auto policy at least once per year to ensure it meets the current coverage needs.
